ServicesCenter for Counseling and Student Development

Crisis Services DuringBusiness Hours

Come in

Crisis screening hours available Monday - Friday 11 am - 4 pm.

Crisis counseling is available to students in emergency situations, some of which include but are not limited to, having a current plan to attempt suicide or to inflict bodily harm on another person, recent physical/sexual assault, hearing or seeing things that do not exist, or experiencing severe distress. Students will be seen on a first-come-first-served basis. Sessions offered through crisis screenings are relatively brief, usually less than 30 minutes, and focus on stabilizing the crisis and creating a plan of action. Please allow some wait time to be seen for these appointments.

Call us

Call us at 252-328-6661 between our normal business hours of 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday if you are currently experiencing a psychological crisis or emergency.

Crisis Services After Business Hours

Call us

You can access our On-Call Counselor by calling 252-328-6661 and following the phone prompts if you are in a psychological crisis or emergency after our normal business hours (after 5 pm and on weekends). Please be advised there may be high call volume at times, so stay on the line until you are connected with a counselor.

Individual Counseling is a confidential one-on-one setting with the client and counselor. Any personal issue can be addressed through individual counseling and treatment goals can be created collaboratively between client and counselor. Individual counseling is a process of exploring issues, learning new ways of coping, creating change, and increasing satisfaction with life. Counseling is not about telling you what to do, how to feel, or who to be. Rather, counseling will help you feel supported as you determine what you want to do, explore how you feel, and determine who you want to be.

Individual sessions typically last about 50 minutes and the frequency of appointments will be determined between you and your counselor. It is most common for clients to be seen every 2-3 weeks by their counselor. Students usually receive no more than 12 sessions per academic year.

To get started with individual counseling, call our office at 252-328-6661 or walk-in to the front desk to schedule an appointment with a counselor.It is important to let the front office assistants know if you are in crisis so we can best accommodate your needs. If you are interested in meeting with a specific counselor, you can learn more about our staff here. For first appointments, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete paperwork. If you are 15 or more minutes late to your appointment, you will be asked to reschedule.

Group Counseling provides a supportive and challenging environment in which members can discuss a variety of concerns with professionals and peers. Group counseling usually involves 5-10 students meeting weekly with 1-2 counselors to address personal issues. Confidentiality is a responsibility of each member in the group. An important advantage of group counseling is members feeling as though they are not alone in their struggle. While group members may have different experiences, there are common emotions and thoughts that members identify with in one another. Additionally, research shows that group counseling is often the most effective form of treatment for many common issues. We offer psychoeducational groups, support groups, process groups, or a combination of psychoeducational and process groups. Please visit our groups page for more information!

To learn more about group counseling, please call our office at 252-328-6661 or walk-in to the front desk to schedule an appointment with a counselor. When you meet with your counselor, you can discuss group counseling options and together determine if group is a right fit for you. From there, you will be asked to attend a Pre-Group Orientation appointment that typically lasts 15-30 minutes and provides you an opportunity to meet the group leaders, ask questions, and determine whether group is the best treatment choice for you. Group guidelines and agreements are signed at that time.

Couples/Partner Counseling may be available for any romantic pairing of currently-enrolled ECU students, depending on current staff expertise and availability. This type of counseling aims to help both members in the relationship examine the difficulties in the relationship in an effort to improve communication, problem-solve, and increase connectedness with one's partner. It is important for both partners to be committed to the counseling process and open to change. If both individual and couples’ counseling is requested, the CCSD will provide one form of counseling and you will likely be referred to a mental health provider in the community for the second form of counseling.

To get started with couples/partner counseling, call our office at 252-328-6661 or walk-in to the front desk to schedule an appointment with a counselor.It is important to let the front office assistants know if you are in crisis so we can best accommodate your needs. If you are interested in meeting with a specific counselor, you can learn more about our staff here. For first appointments, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete paperwork. If you are 15 or more minutes late to your appointment, you will be asked to reschedule.

Substance use counseling involves one-on-one or group counseling specifically focused on substance use issues in a confidential, non-judgmental environment. Students may seek help with their own substance use and for support in their recovery efforts or students may be mandated to attend substance use counseling by various on- or off-campus offices.

ECU offers additional support for those struggling with substance use through the Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC), which you can learn more about by clicking here.

To get started with substance use counseling, call our office at 252-328-6661 or walk-in to the front desk to schedule an appointment with a counselor.It is important to let the front office assistants know if you are in crisis so we can best accommodate your needs. For first appointments, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete paperwork. If you are 15 or more minutes late to your appointment, you will be asked to reschedule.

Did You Know?

University Good Samaritan Regulation

A tool designed to provide support for those needing medical assistance in an alcohol-related emergency

COPE is a 3 week psychoeducational workshop that new clients to CCSD take part in following their initial appointment. It is a curriculum-based workshop meant to accelerate the change process by helping students clarify their concerns, learn ways to cope, and gain a deeper understanding of what they would like to change in their lives. These sessions are designed to ensure that students' privacy is maintained. Students are not required to share information regarding what has brought them to counseling. Find out more about COPE!

Bridge to Balance is a 2 week psychoeducational workshop that is curriculum-based and meant to enhance mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. These sessions are designed to ensure that students' privacy is maintained. Students are not required to share information regarding what has brought them to counseling. Find out more about Bridge to Balance!

Some students who come to CCSD for assistance may be better served by working with a community provider. There are many reasons why a student might be referred to a community provider, ranging from needing specialized or long-term treatment that is not offered at our Center to a student wanting or needing to work with a counselor to explore an issue in depth that may not be achieved within the Center’s brief counseling model. Students may request transfer to a community provider or their CCSD counselor may identify that a student’s needs are best met in the community and work with the student to transfer services. Either way, we can often help you get connected with a local provider.

If you’re interested in case management services, call our office at 252-328-6661 or walk-in to the front desk to schedule a case management appointment.

For some students, medication may be helpful in addressing your presenting concerns or you may wish to receive medication management for existing psychiatric prescriptions. CCSD has psychiatrists on staff to evaluate students for new and ongoing prescriptions or for consultation on medication. Research shows that medication for the treatment of mental health concerns is most beneficial when combined with counseling, thus students should attend counseling while partaking in medication management through our psychiatrists. Students who do not desire to engage in counseling services concurrent with medication management may be referred to a provider in the community for services.

To get started with psychiatry services, call our office at 252-328-6661 or walk-in to the front desk to schedule an appointment with a counselor to talk about medication. It is important to let the front office assistants know if you are in crisis or in desperate need of medication refills so we can best accommodate your needs. If you are interested in meeting with a specific counselor, you can learn more about our staff here. For first appointments, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete paperwork. If you are 15 or more minutes late to your appointment, you will be asked to reschedule. If you are scheduled for a psychiatry appointment and cannot make it or need to forego it, you must cancel/reschedule within 24 hours of the appointment to avoid a $20 no-show fee which will be assessed on your student account.

The Center for Counseling and Student Development offers various workshops, presentations, and programs to numerous groups within the ECU community throughout the year focusing on an array of emotional & mental health topics. We provide outreach events all over campus for currently enrolled ECU students and workshops or presentations to classes, residence hall groups, student organizations, and groups of faculty & staff. Outreach events and presentations do not require appointments or advance notice of attendance, and are open to the ECU community regardless of whether you have attended counseling.

To request outreach services, please fill out our Online Outreach Request Form or click here to print and fill out a hard copy Outreach Request Form. If you fill out a hard copy, please return the form to the Center for Counseling and Student Development in Umstead 137 or email the completed form to ccsdoutreach@ecu.edu. For more information, please see our outreach page.

Victim advocates serve all ECU students who are victims/survivors of any crime, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and other violent crimes. Victim advocates are available to provide support, counseling, legal options, and other options for moving forward without forcing survivors into any one avenue. All victim advocacy services are free and confidential.

If you are interested in victim advocacy services or would like more information, please click here, call 252-737-1466 during normal business hours, or email ecuva@ecu.edu. If you are in need of victim advocacy services after-hours, please call the CCSD at 252-328-6661 and press ‘2’.

The East Carolina University Collegiate Recovery Community, also known as ECU Recovery, is designed to provide educational opportunities, personal development, and social enhancement to students in recovery from mind-altering substances and to the allies that support their journey to a better self. The goal of ECU Recovery is to create a welcoming environment for all students of the University and to create a culture within the University that supports abstinence within a model of recovery-based system of care. Simply put, ECU finds value in every student and supports each student on an individualized level according to their needs.

Are you wondering if ECU Recovery is right for you or someone you know? Find out more here! You may also contact ECU Recovery Coordinator Jarmichael Harris by calling 252-328-6661 or emailing ecucrc@ecu.edu.

Spring Change in Appointment Scheduling

Starting spring 2018 semester, if you are a student who is not in ongoing counseling and would like to initiate or restart counseling, please call us (or come in) beginning Fridays at 1 pm to schedule an appointment for the week immediately following. CCSD will only be opening new appointment slots 1 week at a time, with the slots opening each week on Fridays at 1 pm, and will remain open until filled. Please have your banner id ready when calling.

If you are a student in crisis and cannot get a new appointment, you can come in M - F between 11 am - 4 pm to meet with a counselor for a brief crisis screening to assess your needs.

In crisis?

Come in M - F between 11 am - 4 pm for a brief crisis screening or call us at 252-328-6661 (press '2' if after-hours).